About Movement in Refuge (MiR)
MiR is an international organisation using sport, yoga, movement, and chess to create safe, structured opportunities for conflict-affected communities, starting in the Rohingya refugee and host communities in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh home to one of the world’s largest refugee settlements. Our work is grounded in the conviction that sports and movement are beneficial to everyone and that people who have fled from conflict and disasters and living in displacement would greatly benefit from the many advantages of healthy movement, play and sport.
Through our local partner SHI (Sports for Hope and Independence), we deliver structured, inclusive programmes for women and girls, separately for men and boys. Our trainers come from Bangladeshi Universities with degrees in physical education and sports science. They train refugees we refer to as community-based coaches - who are from and live in the refugee camps. Our planned academic partnerships with the University of Edinburgh, Leeds Beckett University, i-coach kids, is intended to anchor our practice in evidence of what works to reduce gender-based violence, to improve mental health and to reduce risky behaviours by refugees or conflict-affected people who can face bleak life choices and options. Our growing connections across the humanitarian system mean our work has potential to scale. We are at a pivotal moment and need your support to achieve our potential.
Analysis across the literature on mental health outcomes and prevention of gender-based violence in conflict-affected communities shows remarkably little evidence on the impact of sports, yoga, chess and other sports that require sustained support with trained coaches. Indeed some of the systematic reviews specifically mention the absence of robust evidence on this aspect of humanitarian response and the need for new research to be commissioned.
The Role
As Refugee Research intern, you will support the research and evidence efforts underway for MiR's programmes in the Rohingya refugee camps of Cox's Bazar. This means conducting rigorous literature reviews, designing data collection frameworks, analyse findings, and translating these into funding proposals for dedicated research programmes that strengthen the evidence base on the impact of sports, movement and play in conflict affected settings. It would also help inform MiR on best practice approaches for designing future work.
You will work at the intersection of academic rigour and real-world application - producing work that is intellectually serious and directly useful to an organisation operating in one of the most complex humanitarian environments on earth. A field visit to Cox's Bazar is strongly recommended for this role.
Key Responsibilities
Conduct extensive literature reviews on psychosocial wellbeing, mental health, gender-based violence, gender equity, child protection, and sport-for-development in displacement and refugee contexts.
Analyse programme data and research findings, producing clear written summaries for internal and external audiences.
Develop research proposals for new studies related to MiR's refugee camp programmes, identifying research questions, methodologies, and potential academic or institutional partners.
Contribute to the writing and editing of funding proposals and grant applications, grounding them in evidence and relevant literature.
Research and identify funding opportunities from foundations, governments, and research bodies that align with MiR's work in refugee settings.
Support the preparation of donor reports, impact assessments, and academic outputs where appropriate.
Maintain rigorous, well-organised records of research sources, data, and outputs for use across the MiR team.
What you will gain
Being part of the MiR internship programme means joining a lean, fast-moving international development organisation at a pivotal moment in its growth. You will gain:
Direct experience applying academic research skills in a live humanitarian context - producing work that informs real decisions and real programmes.
Expertise in the evidence base for sport, movement, and psychosocial programming in displacement settings - a growing and important field.
Hands-on experience with the full research cycle: literature review, data collection design, analysis, and write-up.
Exposure to proposal writing and grant funding within international development, with direct mentorship on how funders think and what they look for.
A formal reference letter from MiR leadership on successful completion.
Field visit to Cox's Bazar - a rare and formative experience for anyone building a career in humanitarian or development research.
Access to MiR's growing network of academic, UN, and civil society partners.
Time Commitment
5–20 hours per week, over a minimum of 4 months. This is primarily a remote, unpaid internship. Hours are flexible and can be arranged around academic commitments. Hours are flexible and can be arranged around your academic commitments, with scope to increase your contribution during holidays or free periods if that suits you.
How you will be supported
MiR is small but structured. Every intern is assigned a direct point of contact within our team who will oversee your work and provide regular feedback. You will receive a thorough onboarding covering MiR's mission, values, safeguarding framework, field context, and current programme priorities. We take safeguarding seriously and will ensure you are properly briefed before engaging with any field-related information or activities.
We want you to leave with sharper research skills, a stronger understanding of evidence-based humanitarian programming, and work you are genuinely proud of.
Eligibility
If you are a university student or early-career researcher with a background in psychology, public health, gender equity studies, or a closely related discipline. You have strong research and academic writing skills and are comfortable working independently with complex material. An understanding of trauma-informed approaches, gender-based violence prevention, child protection, or psychosocial support in humanitarian settings is an advantage. You should be motivated by the belief that good evidence leads to better outcomes for the people MiR serves.
We take your development seriously. We want you to leave with more skills, more confidence, and a clearer understanding of how impactful organisations communicate in complex environments - and how humanitarian organisations respond to large scale disasters and migration crises.